5 French Christmas movies to watch today or tomorrow at all costs
Winter classics for a comforting film break in the middle of a food-coma
December 24th, 2024
If there's one day when you can allow yourself to put your feet up on the table, wrap yourself in a big blanket, hold a warm tea in your hand, and lounge on the couch watching a good old cheesy movie, it's today. Between slices of turkey, rounds of Uno, and cups of hot chocolate (or sparkling wine for the more festive ones), it's clear that the mandatory break to binge-watch Christmas movies we've seen hundreds of times is a must. And while American blockbusters like Home Alone or The Holiday are often the first to come to mind when thinking about Christmas films, France and its cinema over the years have also produced gems that have become winter classics. Here is a list of five must-watch French Christmas movies to enjoy today, tomorrow, or the day after.
Santa Claus is a Stinker
The first and perhaps the most famous is Santa Claus is a Stinker. While the work began as a play, it’s the film that became a December classic. As Christmas Eve approaches, Pierre and Thérèse, volunteers at the SOS Distress and Friendship association, are on duty, forced to answer calls from distressed souls with suicidal thoughts. The night takes an unexpected turn when a host of eccentric characters show up, including Félix, an unconventional Santa Claus, and his equally unorthodox companion, as well as Katia, a melancholy drag queen. Between misunderstandings, absurd arguments, underhanded schemes, and improbable situations, the quiet evening Pierre and Thérèse hoped for becomes anything but.
Santa Claus is a Stinker is available on Prime Video
French Fried Vacation 2
Continuing in the category of mandatory annual re-watches is French Fried Vacation 2. After their adventures under the Côte d’Ivoire sun, the gang of Popeye, Gigi, Jérôme, Nathalie, Christiane, and Jean-Claude reunite for a mountain getaway. But with their limited skiing skills, equally complicated love lives, and constant pranks on one another, the snowy vacation is far from relaxing. This installment is packed with falls, disastrous hikes, and unexpected reunions, promising 90 minutes of laughter and iconic quotes. So, put on your thick ski socks and join the Splendid crew for this frosty adventure—perfect for a cold December 25th morning post-Christmas dinner food coma.
French Fried Vacation 2 is available on Canal+
Season's Beatings
The next film to add to your Christmas watchlist is Season's Beatings. The movie tells the story of Louba, Sonia, and Milla, three sisters whose lives intertwine a few days before Christmas in a mix of festive and tense atmospheres. Between past wounds, unspoken grudges, and secrets that come to light, the family gathering around their mother and stepfather quickly turns into a fiasco. Each sister, with her own romantic failures and aspirations, must navigate nostalgia, shattered hopes, and new opportunities. With tenderness and humor, Season’s Beatings explores the complexity of family bonds and the fragile magic of Christmas. Featuring a prestigious cast, the film delivers a bittersweet chronicle of life’s joys and struggles, offering a different take on Christmas films.
Season's Beatings is available on FILMO
8 Women
Let’s travel back in time with the next film, 8 Women, which immerses us in the closed setting of a small 1950s mansion where a family is preparing to celebrate Christmas. But instead of a peaceful, lighthearted evening, the family finds itself embroiled in a drama when the master of the house is found dead, murdered in his room. The eight women present in the house each become suspects. Between the wife, the mother-in-law, the daughters, the housekeeper, the maid, the aunt, and the sister, revelations fly, tensions rise, and secrets come to light, suggesting each had a motive for the murder.
8 Women is available on Max
A Christmas Tale
The last film, but certainly not the least, is A Christmas Tale, which tells the story of the Vuillard family's unconventional Christmas dinner. Gathered in their family home in Roubaix, they spend the holidays under the shadow of Junon, the gravely ill matriarch searching for a compatible donor to address her health problems. Already strained by past tensions, the gathering rekindles old grievances and reopens wounds that have yet to heal, especially with the return of Henri, the misunderstood prodigal son, after years of exile. Between arguments, unexpected reconciliations, and moments of grace, this family saga explores the ties that unite and divide in a tender yet cruel atmosphere. A Christmas Tale is an intimate chronicle of love, forgiveness, and resilience, where the magic of Christmas meets the complexity of human relationships—perfect for those seeking a less clichéd and more profound holiday movie.
A Christmas Tale is available on LaCinetek